


Where Earth Meets Sky

by im_the_king_of_the_ocean



Series: Avatar!Oscar AU [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, Light Angst, Meet-Cute, au where oscar is the avatar and ruby is an airbender basically, ozpin was the last avatar reincarnation before oscar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:33:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26665228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_the_king_of_the_ocean/pseuds/im_the_king_of_the_ocean
Summary: Oscar is the Avatar, the only person in the world capable of bending all four elements.  The pressures of his role and living up to the legacy of his predecessor, the great Ozpin, weigh on him constantly.One would think an airbender almost crashing her bison into him would just add to his stress, but, instead, it gives him the first genuine friend (and possibly something more) he's had in a while.
Relationships: Oscar Pine/Ruby Rose
Series: Avatar!Oscar AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1977490
Comments: 5
Kudos: 59





	Where Earth Meets Sky

Oscar pokes his head out of his chambers.The Earth Kingdom guard stationed at his door looks down at him.Oscar gulps and closes the door again.Despite being guests at the Southern Air Temple, some things never change.His masters’ protectiveness certainly never will.Oscar sighs.He reconsiders trying to meditate in here, but his rooms feel stuffy and confined.He wants to be _outside_ , but avoiding both his Earth entourage and the Air monks has proven to be impossible so far.

If there’s one thing Oscar absolutely hates about being the Avatar, it’s that he no longer gets any time just to himself.The quiet peacefulness he knew living on his aunt’s farm is long gone.He knows his masters have his best interest at heart, that they’re just worried for his safety, but it wears on him.

Why did it have to be him?

Oscar knows that he’s always been the Avatar.Even before he _knew,_ since the day he was born and drew his first breath, he was something greater than anyone else on Remnant.This was always his destiny, no matter how much he wishes it wasn’t.He wonders what it would have been like if it was _someone else_ , and he got to stay on his aunt’s farm, a normal person.

Not that he’d been completely happy with his life there, but he hadn’t been _unhappy_ either.It had been nice.Not that there aren’t nice parts to being the Avatar.It’s just a heavy burden.

Oscar sits down on his bed.A really heavy burden.

He’s supposed to maintain balance between the four nations, but how is he supposed to do that when even his predecessor, the great Water Avatar, Ozpin, could not?Ozpin was renown for making more strides than anyone else towards a new era of peace, for being perhaps one of the strongest Avatars there ever was.

Then, Ozpin was cut down, his life tragically shortened, by a murderer who thirsted for the power over all the elements only the Avatar has.A murderer who is still out there, probably planning to hunt down Oscar himself as he sits here thinking.

Oscar puts his head in his hands.He didn’t choose this.He didn’t want this.He’s not _ready_ to be this.He’s not even that great of a bender.His connection to Earth is strong, but in the way of a _farmer_ , who asks his soil to grow his crops as best it can.His link to Fire grows with each passing day, sure, but it’s not the burning heat that’ll engulf enemies in an instant so much as it is the campfire that will hold the dark of night at bay and provide warmth.

Oscar isn’t a fighter.He knows he’s expected to one day go up against Ozpin’s murderer.He’s not sure how he _can_.If only he could _talk_ to Ozpin, but he can’t even get privacy out of his suffocating rooms to truly meditate and make the connection with his past self.

Sunlight gleaming in through the window catches Oscar’s eye.He runs his hands down his face and turns to look at it.His room overlooks an impassable drop off.Another thing meant to protect him from danger, but only works to make him feel even more isolated.

A sky bison flies by.Oscar sighs.If only he could be that free.He walks over to the window and gazes at the creature.Oscar can see the silhouette of someone on its back, but then the bison zips around the side of the temple and is gone.Only the distant, lonely mountain range remains.

Oscar groans.What was he expecting?Whoever they are, they probably don’t even know he’s here.Why would they stick around?He goes to his bed and flops down on it.If only he could fly too.

Wait…

Oscar looks back to the window.Sure, he hasn’t started his airbender training yet, but he’s the _Avatar_.Airbending isn’t outside the realm of possibility for him.He glances once back at his door, half-expecting his guard to have read his mind and come in to stop him.No such thing happens.

For the first time in a while, Oscar grins.He returns to the open window and climbs up on the ledge.The moment he realizes the great height he’s at, Oscar hesitates.This is _absurd_.He should just go back inside, where it’s safe.

And stuffy.And suffocating.

Oscar closes his eyes.He reaches out to the air, and asks it to listen.

Nothing happens at first.Then;

A breeze pushes past Oscar.He looses his balance.Panic rises from his gut.The wind twists, capturing Oscar in its center.It lifts and carries him.Despite having nothing between him and the largest drop down of his life, Oscar’s fears fade away.He’s not going to fall.He’s certain of it.

The wind takes Oscar and deposits him in an empty courtyard tucked into a secluded corner of the temple.It’s the perfect spot for some personal meditation time to try and focus on connecting to the Avatar Spirit.There’s a well-tended flower garden.It’s quiet, away from the loud hubbub and general going-ons of the temple.

Oscar sits down cross-legged on a grassy spot by the garden, closes his eyes, centers his breathing, and tries to make the connection.He’s not actually sure what it’s supposed to feel like.He’s meditated lots of time, felt perfectly calm and at ease and yet nothing extraordinary has ever happened.

Ozpin has never tried to reach back to him.Sure, the Water Avatar was notorious for being secretive, but he wouldn’t refuse to connect with his successor.Would he?

Everyone always assures Oscar Ozpin wouldn’t.That what he’s trying to do is extremely difficult and could take time, but if Oscar’s being honest, it feels like there’s this gaping wound, a hole, in his soul where Ozpin should be.

It scares Oscar.What does it mean?Did the last Avatar reject him?Has he somehow done something wrong?Destroyed millennia of tradition, culture, and history without meaning to?

Oscar groans and tries to refocus.Thinking like this won’t help him make the connection.He needs to—

“LOOK OUT BELOW!!!”

Instinctively, Oscar earthbends the ground to move himself out of the way.A mass of cream-colored fur speeds over his head and dives into a sloppy landing.The mass’s great paws scramble against the cobblestones, don’t find purchase, and slide into the garden.Geysers of dirt and flowers shoot up in every direction.Oscar covers his face with his arms to protect himself.

When the mass settles, Oscar sees it’s the sky bison he saw from his window, and it’s a fairly young one.The bison grumbles loudly, not at Oscar, but at a dark-haired girl who slides off its back.The girl wears the robes of an air novice.They’re the most haphazardly worn air robes Oscar has ever seen.When he first arrived at the Southern Air Temple, he’d noted how meticulous the monks were with their clothing right away.Not a thread or a wrinkle out of place.

This girl, by comparison, seems to be trying to compete for the most wrinkly, dirty clothing ever.Her long red-orange cloak’s hem has numerous tears.There’s burrs stuck to her that definitely didn’t originate in this courtyard.In some ways, she’s more smudged dirt-stains than she is person.

“Yeah, Sorry, that one was my fault.I thought we could definitely make that barrel roll.”The girl scratches behind one of the bison’s ears.“What do you say to trying it again in a little bit?”

The bison rumbles an answer.

“Alright.”The girl gives her bison an affectionate pat.“Maybe tomorrow, then.”She looks around and notices Oscar for the first time.Her eyes widen.“I didn’t think anyone came out to the courtyards on this side of the temple anymore.Are you okay?”She notices his Earth robes.“Oh my spirits, you’re the _Avatar_!I’m so, so sorry, your avatar-ness.I will be more careful in the future.I promise.”

“It’s okay,” Oscar reassures her, hoping to end this conversation as soon as possible.He hates when people give him special treatment because of his position.“No harm was done.”He pauses.“Except maybe to the garden.”He gestures to its ruins.

The girl can’t help but crack a smile.“Yeah, that tends to happen when Luna and I go flying.”She scratches the back of her head sheepishly.“If you don’t mind, I’ll stick around for a bit to clean things up.”

“Sure.”Oscar nods.He’d really like privacy, but he’d also like to not be stuck with cleaning the mess himself.He returns to his meditation and the girl begins picking up uprooted flowers.Her bison follows behind her, clumsily trying to help.

Oscar manages to meditate for a whole minute.The squish of the girl putting the flowers back into the dirt is a soft sound, but his ears, which spent years attuning to earth and soil, picks up on it easily.He fidgets.She’s being too rough.Even without looking, he knows that.Oscar takes a deep breath.He tries to ignore the girl and her poor gardening skills, but he can’t take it.

Oscar gets up and goes over to the girl.He kneels in the dirt next to her.“Here.”He takes the plant she’s about to replant from her.“Be more gentle.The roots are delicate.They’ll break easily.You’re forcing them into the ground too roughly.”He expertly scoops out a hole in the soil and lowers the plant into it.Then, with his free hand, he packs dirt around it.“Like this.”

“Oh.Sorry.”The girl lets out an awkward laugh.“I guess Earth isn’t really my thing.”

“That’s okay.”Oscar smiles at her.“It’s mine.I’ll help you.”

His meditation probably wasn’t going to work anyway, and it’s been far too long since he’s had the chance to do some gardening.

As he and the girl settle into an easy, natural rhythm with fixing the destroyed garden, Oscar finally asks for her name.

“Promise to not get me in trouble with the monks?”She asks in return.

“Promise,” Oscar answers.

“Ruby Rose.”Ruby takes her hand off the flower she was holding while Oscar packed stabilizing dirt around it and holds it out to him.“And you are?”

“I thought you already knew?”

“I know you’re the Avatar, silly, but what’s your name?”

“Oh.Oscar.Oscar Pine.”Oscar can’t help the big smile that takes over his face.Usually people stop asking after they find out he’s the Avatar.The rest doesn’t matter as much to them.Feeling playful, he adds, “I’ve never seen an air nomad crash their bison before.”

Ruby blushes, which is rather cute in Oscar’s opinion.“Yeah, we’re not exactly supposed to.”She glances over her shoulder at her bison, who has opted to take a nap while they work.“But we never do what we’re supposed to anyway, right, girl?”

The bison opens its eyes, huffs, lumbers over, and affectionately licks Ruby with her massive tongue.

“Eww, Luna!You know your spit doesn’t wash out easily!”

Oscar can’t help but laugh.

“Don’t encourage her!”Ruby pouts at Oscar, and then throws herself against Luna’s side in a hug that can’t possibly reach all the way around the bison.“That’s my job,” she mumbles into Luna’s fur.

They finish fixing the garden too soon in Oscar’s opinion.It’s been far too long since he’s just been able to relax and talk to someone without worrying about how they’d react to his status, or how to be respectful of their status, or any of the other things the Earth Sages drilled into his head he needed to remember.

“So.”Ruby wipes her hands together to clean them of dirt.“Have you ridden an air bison yet?”

Oscar replies, “Yes.To get here, the monks picked us up in Ba Sing Se and flew us.”

“Correction.Have you ridden a _fun_ air bison yet?”Ruby grins conspiratorially.

“No…”Oscar looks between Ruby and Luna.

“Do you want to?I promise not to crash into any more gardens.”

They do, and, when they do, Oscar just looks at Ruby, who looks back at him.They both start laughing.


End file.
